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African Politics_Crass Opportunism of ZANU-PF

As a young man, I invested a lot of time, energy and my meagre resources to understand African political Renaissance, post-colonial era; and I believe I still understand the dynamics. So, my take on the crisis the major state that evolved from the Monomotapa Empire – Zimbabwe – is a bit deep.

That Robert Mugabe (now only de facto president of Zimbabwe) has overstayed his welcome as leader of this great people, is commonly accepted by all. Apart from being dictatorial (which many seem to focus on), he is also too old to understand the nuances of his nation and appears bereft of understanding what the real economic issues are anymore. On this last bit, Zimbabwe’s economy is comatose, primarily due to his inability to understand the major role free agricultural enterprise (read Zimbabwean white farmers) has with the overall well-being of the country!

But he alone cannot, and should not be allowed to carry the can, for this misrule of almost 4 decades! Main point of this piece.

And many are complicit, from his contemporary, Joshua Nkomo, who has since long gone; but under whose watch Zimbabwe slid into dictatorship, when he lamely consented to his ZAPU party to be swallowed by ZANU to form ZANU-PF (Unity Accord of 1987, pursuant to the GUKURANHUNDI – low level civil war between Mugabe’s government and the opposition). What if he had withstood the persecution but stood firm for the sake of Zimbabwe; after all evil thrives were good men keep quiet!

Also complicit is the so-called Zimbabwean National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA). From their waged ‘war’ against white farmers (who were truly also Rhodesians/Zimbabweans) which led to the death of a once thriving agricultural base for the economy, to their active persecution of real and perceived enemies of Robert Mugabe, leading to a state of fear. What if they had as priority Zimbabwe and not Robert of Zimbabwe?

Also complicit is Morgan Tsvangirai, who traded the electoral victory of his Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) in the 2008 parliamentary elections to become a frustrated Prime Minister, in a brokered deal, only to lose in an official landslide to the party (ZANU-PF) he defeated 4 years earlier! What if he had not consented to South Africa’s pressure to trade his victory and opportunity of becoming president for the title of PM? Mugabe would have been long gone!

Then comes the ZANU-PF party itself. Carved in the image of Robert Mugabe just after the war of independence, it became the machine through which the enterprise of state was conducted with its attendant systems of patronage; thereby weakening state institutions! If Zimbabwe failed, a bulk of the blame should lie at the feet of the ZANU-PF!

Zimbabwe’s economy lies comatose, not just from the misrule of Robert, but from the collaboration and connivance of most of the leaders and bodies mentioned above, causing to fall flat on their faces these once proud Shona and Ndebele peoples.

So, you see my disbelief that these set of fellow travelers in ‘Bob’s’ party now seek to throw just their president under the proverbial bus! If Mugabe is liable to be kicked out of office, so should they all be thrown out! Where were they before Grace Mugabe became Robert’s wife? Were they not the same lot who said Mugabe’s first wife and revolutionary partner, the Ghanaian, Sally Mugabe, was a foreigner, not fit for government role? Yet they watched as Grace schemed her way into politics and verged on presidential power that threatened their collective survival before they woke up?

They are complicit in what Zimbabwe has become today, all these leaders, and particularly this party. They have no moral ground to abandon Bob of Shona land!